About NIWA

The diary and hand-drawn maps of a nineteenth century geologist has enabled NIWA scientists to confirm the former site of the iconic Pink and White Terraces at Lake Rotomahana.

Read NIWA's 2017/18 Annual Report.

This year the competition attracted more than 400 entries from staff capturing the beauty of New Zealand’s natural features, NIWA’s work and rarely seen creatures.

Once, or twice a year, when the tides and moon align, the brightly coloured jewel anemone will spawn, sending trails into the ocean in a spectacle that few get to witness.

Students have been combing their creative and practical sides in the lead up to this year’s NIWA North Harbour Science and Technology Fair.

Students are a sceptical lot going by the entry titles into this year’s NIWA Wellington Regional Science and Technology Fair.

First-time science fair entrants Oliver Gunson and Jayden Kumar are on a mission to help reduce skin cancer rates caused by New Zealand’s harsh sun.

A 13-year-old Waikato school student has been testing his mother’s assurance that sunscreens past their expiry dates are still effective.

A group of year 12 students in South Auckland has been tackling one of New Zealand’s biggest health issues – our high skin cancer rate.

A Tauranga school student has solved a crucial problem for dog owners in the face of a ban on plastic bags.

What do taewa Māori (Māori potatoes) and Swiss cheese have in common? For NIWA social scientist Stephen FitzHerbert it’s much more than a tasty snack.

It’s been a year of discovery for NIWA scientists who now know more than they did 12 months ago – their top five discoveries for the year range from the bottom of the ocean to the top of the atmosphere.